{"id":33874,"date":"2018-03-04T23:12:59","date_gmt":"2018-03-05T03:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33874"},"modified":"2018-03-04T23:12:59","modified_gmt":"2018-03-05T03:12:59","slug":"review-of-the-elephant-keeper-by-margriet-ruurs-illustrated-by-pedro-covo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=33874","title":{"rendered":"Review of The Elephant Keeper, by Margriet Ruurs, illustrated by Pedro Covo"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Elephant Keeper<\/p>\n

Caring for Orphaned Elephants in Zambia<\/em><\/p>\n

by Margriet Ruurs
\nillustrated by Pedro Covo<\/p>\n

Kids Can Press, 2017. 48 pages.<\/p>\n

This fascinating true story is presented in picture book format, even though there\u2019s a lot more text than what is usual in a picture book, so this is for upper elementary school children.<\/p>\n

The author features an African boy named Aaron who found a baby elephant swimming in a hotel swimming pool. No other elephants were around, so his mother was probably a victim of poachers. The elephant needed to go to an elephant orphanage. Aaron was good with animals \u2013 and ended up working at the elephant orphanage himself and helping with the baby\u2019s recovery.<\/p>\n

The way the story is presented isn\u2019t strictly true, as we learn from the notes in the back \u2013 Aaron wasn\u2019t actually the one who found the elephant (named Zambezi) in the pool, but he was involved in Zambezi\u2019s care and ended up working in an elephant orphanage.<\/p>\n

But the story does a lovely job highlighting the plight of elephants whose families are killed by poachers. Every several pages, there\u2019s a spread apart from the story with photos of elephants and background facts. These are inserted at a point where the reader finds them very interesting.<\/p>\n

So this is a lovely book for teaching kids about elephants and how humans are trying to save them from extinction. As well as the story of how a life was changed and a boy\u2019s love for animals turned into a career saving them. Notes at the back tell kids how they can adopt an elephant or help in other ways.<\/p>\n

gamerangersinternational.org<\/a>
\nkidscanpress.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Nonfiction\/elephant_keeper.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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